The dangers of swimming rings all parents should know about

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Even fun and colourful inflatables can pose swimming ring risks! Here's how to protect your child, mums and dads

It lasted for just under two minutes, but it was one of the most excruciating things to watch. The horrifying video, which was taken at a swimming pool in China, highlights swimming ring risks all parents should know about.

In the clip (you can view it below), a toddler splashes around before he tips over. He struggles to keep his head above water, but a swimming ring keeps him submerged. Unable to turn his body upright, he flails his legs about.

Screenshot: YouTube

Thankfully, the unattended toddler is spotted and rescued by staff after 72 seconds under water. The toddler survived, but not all little ones are so lucky.

Mums and dads, we often are extra careful when headed to the beach or swimming pool. Did you know that swimming ring risks are just the beginning? Even seemingly harmless inflatable pools pose dangers, too.

In Brisbane, Australia back in January 2017, a two-year-old was found unconscious in an inflatable pool. Struggling for his life, the tot was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.

“Young kids, especially infants, can drown in as little as one inch of water. That’s not a lot of water, really,” Dr. Maribeth Chitkara, a New York-based pediatrics professor told CBS.

Drowning can happen when you least expect it

“Don’t even run into the house for a second to go to the bathroom or grab the phone,” pediatric emergency medicine expert Dr. Mark Waltzman warns in an interview with CBS.

Dr. Waltzman also explains how it often happens when everyone thinks “someone else” is watching the kids.

Drowning can can happen where you least expect it

Just because you don’t have a pool at home, it doesn’t mean your kids aren’t at risk for drowning.

Here are unexpected drowning hazards you should know about:

Hot tubs

Bath tubs

Landscape fountains

Ponds

Dr. Chitkara urges parents to take bodies of water seriously. Even if a child is rescued in time, a near-drowning accident can cause lasting neurological damage because the oxygen in the brain is depleted.

Watch the video here:

Drowning is a fast, silent killer that can be prevented! Be vigilant, mums and dads!